The invention relates generally to the conveying and diverting of articles and, more particularly, to a conveyor belt constructed of plastic modules having movable transport elements to transport conveyed articles across the conveying surface of the belt.
Typical diverting conveyor systems include an endless conveyor belt or chain constructed of a series of slats flanked by drive chains. A shoe for pushing articles across the conveyor belt is movably attached to each slat. Typically, the shoe either surrounds the slat, top to bottom and front to back, or has an appendage that extends through a transverse slot formed through the slat from top to bottom. A guide track arrangement in the conveyor frame beneath the conveyor belt guides the shoes across the belt as the belt is driven in the conveying direction. The specific arrangement of the guide track programs the system to push articles to specified positions on the conveyor belt.
One problem with these chain-driven slat conveyors is that their construction limits the placement of connecting joints between consecutive slats because of interference with the shoes and associated appendages. For that reason, the slats can sag in the middle because they are supported mainly at the drive chains positioned out of the shoe""s travel range at the side edges of the slats. This problem is especially noticeable on wider conveyors.
Thus, there is a need for a diverting conveyor that is not of the slat-and-chain construction.
This need and others are satisfied by an article-diverting conveyor belt having features of the invention. In a preferred version of the invention, the conveyor belt is made of a series of rows of belt modules. Each of the belt modules includes a module body extending longitudinally from a forward end to a rearward end, transversely from a left edge to a right edge, and from a top side to a bottom side through the thickness of the module. Hinge elements are spaced apart along each of the ends. At least some of the modules include a cam follower extending from the bottom side and arranged to move transversely across the bottom side of the module body. A positioning belt is arranged on the module and attached to the cam follower to move with it. The forward and rearward hinge elements of adjacent rows are interleaved and joined by hinge pins at hinge joints to form the conveyor belt.
In another version, the conveyor belt is made of a series of rows of belt modules. Each of the belt modules includes a module body extending longitudinally from a forward end to a rearward end, transversely from a left edge to a right edge, and from a top side to a bottom side through the thickness of the module. Hinge elements are spaced apart along each of the ends. At least some of the modules include a cam follower extending from the bottom side and arranged to move transversely across the bottom side of the module body. A transport element extends from the top side and is arranged to move transversely across the top side of the module body. The transport element and the cam follower are linked so that the transport element moves across the top side as the cam follower moves across the bottom side. The forward and rearward hinge elements of adjacent rows are interleaved and joined by hinge pins at hinge joints to form the conveyor belt.
In yet another version, the modular conveyor belt is constructed of a series of rows of belt modules extending in width from a left edge to a right edge and in thickness from a top side to a bottom side. At least some of the rows include a first recess in the top side of the row that extends along the width of the row and a second recess in the bottom side of the row that extends along the width of the row. A positioning belt is received in the recesses on the top and bottom sides.
In still another version, the modular conveyor belt comprises a series of rows of belt modules extending in width from a left edge to a right edge and in thickness from a top side to a bottom side. At least some of the rows include an endless positioning belt extending across the width of the row on the top and bottom sides and along the thickness of the row at the left and right edges.
Various versions of modules are usable in conveyor belts having features of the invention. In one version, the conveyor belt module has a module body extending longitudinally from a forward end to a rearward end, transversely from a left edge to a right edge, and from a top side to a bottom side through the thickness of the module. The module is also characterized by a positioning belt arranged to move transversely on the module body and a cam follower attached to the positioning belt and extending below the bottom side for movement with the positioning belt.
In a second version, the conveyor belt module has a body that extends longitudinally from a forward end to a rearward end, transversely from a left edge to a right edge, and in thickness from a top side to a bottom side. The module body is suitable for being interconnected end to end with other module bodies to form a conveyor belt. Furthermore, the module body has a top track extending transversely across the top side of the module between the forward and rearward ends. A transport element is arranged to ride in the top track.
In yet another version, the conveyor belt module has a body that extends longitudinally from a forward end to a rearward end, transversely from a left edge to a right edge, and in thickness from a top side to a bottom side. The module body is suitable for being interconnected end to end with other module bodies to form a conveyor belt. A top track is formed as a transverse recess across the top side of the module body. A bottom track is formed as a transverse recess across the bottom side of the module body. A cam follower rides in the bottom track. An endless positioning belt is received in the recesses and is connected to the cam follower.
An article-diverting conveyor system having features of the invention includes a modular conveyor belt made up of a series of rows of belt modules. At least some of the belt modules have a module body extending longitudinally from a forward end to a rearward end, transversely from a left edge to a right edge, and in thickness from a top side to a bottom side. A cam follower extends from the bottom side and is arranged to move transversely across the bottom side of the module body. A transport element extends from the top side and is arranged to move transversely across the top side of the module body. The transport element is linked to the cam follower so that the transport element moves across the top side as the cam follower moves across the bottom side. Hinge pins interconnect adjacent rows at a hinge joint to form an endless conveyor belt. A network of guides is disposed at the bottom side of the modular conveyor belt along a carryway portion of the conveyor system. The guides engage the cam followers to direct them across the belt to position the transport elements at predetermined transverse positions at specific locations along the carryway.
An automated version of conveyor system includes a conveyor bed supporting a conveyor belt to form a conveyor carryway. The conveyor belt extends transversely from a right side edge to a left side edge, in thickness from a top side to a bottom side, and longitudinally in the direction of belt travel. Cam followers are arranged to move transversely along the bottom side of the conveyor belt at longitudinally spaced locations. The conveyor bed includes an automated guide network. The network is made up of a right-hand lane extending longitudinally along one side of the conveyor bed, a left-hand lane extending longitudinally along the opposite side of the conveyor bed, and a series of skewed lanes formed diagonally across the conveyor bed and communicating with the left-hand lane and the right-hand lane. The right-hand, left-hand, and skewed lanes are all sized to receive the cam followers. Blocking elements are positioned along the left-hand lane and are operable to move between a first retracted position clear of the left-hand lane and a second blocking position blocking the left-hand lane. Each blocking element is associated with an individual skewed lane and diverts a cam follower from the longitudinal lane into the associated skewed lane when the blocking element is in the second blocking position. Actuators connected to the blocking elements move the blocking elements between the first retracted position and the second blocking position. The actuators can simultaneously move consecutive blocking elements into second blocking positions to simultaneously direct consecutive cam followers into consecutive skewed lanes.
In various versions of the conveyor belts and modules, the transport element can be a pusher to push articles across the top side of the belt or an outer surface of the positioning belt or a separate carrier to carry articles across the top side of the belt. In yet another version, the positioning belt is wrapped around wheels at the left and right edges of the modules. In still another version, the bottom track is recessed to facilitate the placement of drive sprockets along the width of the module, rather than just at the side edges as in the slat-and-chain belts, to prevent the modules from sagging. When made of plastic, the modules can be light-weight and yet have enough beam strength to minimize sag.